Cardiogenesis

Cardiogenesis refers to the development of the heart, the first functional organ in the embryo. The linear heart tube is formed at three weeks gestation and begins beating. Cardiogenesis is a tightly regulated orchestration of differentiation and migration of at least three types of heart precursor cell. The study of cardiac biology aims to investigate the pathways involved in heart development to better understand and treat congenital heart conditions as well as ischemic heart disease. In addition, knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic cardiogenesis has provided invaluable insight into the design of cell-based therapies for adults. In conjunction with this, researchers have created protocols for the isolation and characterization of both cardiac progenitors and their definitive progeny.